Bow fishermen spear grass carp during the night at Lone Lake

Bow fishermen had a successful night hunting for troublesome grass carp in Lone Lake on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

The bow fishermen, Jay Johnson and Dylan Zugschwerdt, shot nine carp while in the waters from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., the biggest of which was over 21 pounds, said John “Jake” Jacobson, of Evergreen Fly Fishing Club’s Conservation Committee in Everett. Jacobsen said the bow fishermen used specially-rigged boats with lights to shoot the elusive carp. The lights caused some confusion, as Jacobson reported that at least one of the nearby neighbors thought their boats appeared to be a UFO.

“They move it (the boat) around with an electric motor, so it’s silent running,” Jacobson said. “They have a generator onboard to run their light set. So, they were creeping along the shoreline and that’s a bright light in the middle of the night.”

The bow fishermen will return for another round of hunting carp on May 5.

The carps’ presence over the past eight years have reduced submerged plant communities and increased algae bloom. Local fishing clubs have teamed up over the past few years in efforts to restore the lake to prime condition. In February, the clubs — Evergreen FFC, Olympic FFC, Fidalgo FFC, Whidbey FFC, and The Fishin’ Club of Whidbey Island — helped restock the lake with 450 jumbo trout. Jacobsen said there are currently about 4,000 catchable fish ranging between eight to nine inches that were recently planted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Jacobson also said the clubs have partnered with the Whidbey Island Conservation District and will soon apply for grants to develop a lake management plan. The plan could include funding for both lake water quality studies and additional carp removal.